From Phuket · Krabi · Phi Phi Don · October to July
Step onto Maya Bay
The cliff-ringed cove on Phi Phi Le where The Beach was filmed, reopened in 2022 after a long
rest. Walk in through the forest from Loh Samah, wade beside baby blacktip sharks, then swim in Pileh Lagoon next door.
Where each boat leavesPhuket, Krabi or Phi Phi Don, and how early the pickup is
When it lands on Maya BayFirst stop, sunrise or last of the day, per each listing
Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, on every listing here
Secure checkoutBook on GetYourGuide, with a mobile voucher
Maya Bay tours
Choose your Maya Bay tour
In the centre, the classic day from Phuket that lands on Maya Bay first. On the left, the early
bird from Krabi. On the right, your own longtail from Phi Phi Don, on the bay when it opens at 7 am.
An early pickup in Ao Nang puts you on Maya Bay for an hour before the day boats from Phuket, then Pileh, Bamboo Island and the Krabi 4 Islands on the way home.
What's included
Hotel pickup in Ao Nang, Klong Muang or Tub Kaek between about 5:50 and 6:30 am
A coffee stop at Tup Island, then about an hour at Maya Bay
Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave and Monkey Bay, a snorkel stop and lunch on Bamboo Island
Chicken Island and Ko Poda before the pier at about 4 pm
Park fee listed as included but paid in cash on the day; free cancellation up to 24 hours before
A full speedboat day from Phuket that lands at Maya Bay first, then Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave, snorkelling, lunch on Phi Phi Don and long beach time on Bamboo Island.
What's included
Maya Bay as the first stop, with about 50 minutes on the beach
Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave, Monkey Beach and a snorkel stop off Phi Phi Le
Buffet lunch on Phi Phi Don, then about an hour and a half on Bamboo Island
Mask, snorkel, towel, water and fruit; the park fee is included only if you pick that option
A boat of 35 to 70 passengers; free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Length8 hoursBig speedboat, English guideBook this →
Your own longtail and captain from Phi Phi Don. Take the morning slot to step onto Maya Bay at 7 am, or an afternoon slot that ends with sunset and a plankton swim.
What's included
A private wooden longtail boat with a local captain, for 3, 4, 6 or 7 hours
About an hour on Maya Bay; the morning option lands at 7 am, when the bay opens
Pileh Lagoon, Monkey Bay, Loh Samah and Viking Cave; Bamboo Island on the 7-hour trip
National park fee, lunch, water, fruit, snorkels and life jackets
You need to be staying on Phi Phi; free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Length3 to 7 hoursPrivate boat and captainBook this →
Four more ways onto the bay
A sunrise breakfast on the sand, a Maya-first half day from Phi Phi, a premium day that ends on the bay and a sunset run with glowing plankton
Every tour here gives you 40 minutes to an hour on Maya Bay. What differs is the pier you leave from,
the hour you land, the size of the boat and the rest of the day. Times and stops are taken from each listing.
Option
Starts from
Best for
Length
Notes
Maya Bay, Phi Phi & Bamboo Island by Speedboat
Phuket pier, optional hotel pickup 7 to 8 am
A full day from Phuket with Maya Bay first, snorkelling, lunch on Phi Phi and Bamboo Island
Every listing here cancels free up to 24 hours before on GetYourGuide. The three Phi Phi Don
departures need you to stay on the island the night before. Between 1 August and 30 September the boats pass Maya
Bay but cannot land.
What you actually book
A dock and a clock, not a swim.
Maya Bay is a small cove on Ko Phi Phi Le, an uninhabited island of about 2 km² inside Hat Noppharat
Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. After The Beach, the bay took about 5,000 visitors a day and most of its reef
died. It closed in June 2018 and reopened on 1 January 2022 with new rules: boats stay out of the
bay, visitors land at Loh Samah on the far side and walk across, and nobody swims.
That turns every tour into the same short visit: 40 minutes to an hour on the sand, wading at most. What you
choose is the dock, Phuket, Krabi or Phi Phi Don, and the clock: the first round at 7 am, a sunrise
breakfast, the midday crush or the last light. Pick those two and the rest of the day follows.
375
The most people allowed on the beach in each hourly round,
between 7 am and 6 pm, under the park's rules for the season.
Maya BayLoh SamahPileh LagoonViking CaveMonkey BeachBamboo IslandPhi Phi Don
Ko Phi Phi Le: a ring of limestone cliffs around Maya Bay and Loh Samah.
01
Pick the dock
Phuket means about an hour each way by speedboat and a full day. Krabi means a pickup before 6 am. Phi Phi Don puts you a short ride away, if you sleep on the island.
02
Pick the clock
The bay opens at 7 am in hourly rounds. Sunrise and "Maya Bay first" tours arrive early; premium and sunset trips arrive late. Midday is the busiest.
03
Know the rules
No swimming at Maya Bay, no drones without permission, no feeding fish and no coral-harming sunscreen. Swim at Pileh Lagoon and the snorkel stops instead.
04
Who should skip it?
Anyone travelling in August or September, when the bay is closed. Anyone prone to bad seasickness, or with back or heart problems: most listings rule them out.
The day
Maya Bay in four moves
Whichever pier you leave from, the visit itself runs the same way. Here is what happens between the
boat and the beach.
01
The boat out
A speedboat from Phuket takes about an hour; from Krabi the early birds collect from 5:50 am; from Phi Phi Don a longtail or speedboat gets you there fast.
Take seasickness pills before, not after
02
Dock at Loh Samah
Boats tie up at the pier in Loh Samah Bay on the back of Phi Phi Le. Rangers may check the park ticket, then you walk the path through the forest.
Keep your park ticket with you
03
On the sand
About an hour on Maya Bay: photos, a walk along the beach and a wade at the waterline, where young blacktip sharks often cruise the shallows.
Wading only, no swimming
04
Swim next door
Back on the boat for Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave and a snorkel stop, then lunch and beach time on Phi Phi Don or Bamboo Island, depending on the tour.
Getting to the pier, who can come, a sample day and what to bring.
From Phuket: most tours include hotel pickup to the marina or pier; the speedboat to Phi Phi takes about an hour.
From Krabi: the early bird collects in Ao Nang, Klong Muang and Tub Kaek from about 5:50 am, and Railay around 7 am.
From Phi Phi Don: tours meet near McDonald's by Tonsai Pier; you need a bed on the island, reached by ferry from Phuket or Krabi.
Maya Bay itself: Krabi province, on Ko Phi Phi Le, inside the national park. There is no road; boats dock at Loh Samah.
Children: most listings say not for under-3s.
Upper age limits: the Phuket classic says not for over-60s and the Krabi early bird not for over-70s, per their listings.
Health: not for pregnant travellers or people with back or heart problems on most speedboat trips; the sea can be choppy.
Wheelchairs: the listings here are not wheelchair accessible; the walk from Loh Samah includes a path and boardwalk.
Early: pickup and the boat out, Maya Bay as the first stop while the sand is quiet.
Late morning: Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave and a snorkel stop off Phi Phi Le.
Lunch: on Phi Phi Don or Bamboo Island, then beach time and a swim.
Afternoon: the ride back, at the pier around 4 to 6 pm. Avoid booking a flight the same evening.
Swimwear under your clothes, a towel and a dry bag for your phone.
Reef-safe sunscreen: chemical sunscreens that harm coral are banned in the park.
Water shoes help on rocky stops and boat ladders; sandals are fine on the boardwalk.
Cash for small purchases on the islands, and your park ticket if the tour hands you one.
7 amFirst roundWhen Maya Bay opens to visitors each day.
1 hourOn the sandThe most any tour here spends on Maya Bay.
375Per roundThe cap on people in the bay at one time.
Aug-SepClosedEvery year, 1 August to 30 September.
2022ReopenedOn 1 January, after closing in June 2018.
24 hFree cancellationOn every GetYourGuide listing on this page.
Where you land
Loh Samah, then Maya Bay
Ko Phi Phi Le, Krabi province
Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, Thailand
Boats no longer pull up on Maya Bay's sand. They drop you at the pier in Loh Samah Bay, the narrow inlet on the
other side of the island, and you walk across on a path and boardwalk. Buoys keep boats out of the water in front of
the beach. Your tour starts somewhere else: a pier in Phuket, a hotel in Ao Nang or Tonsai on Phi Phi Don.
Phuket tours collect from hotels and leave from Boat Lagoon, Royal Phuket Marina or another pier, per the listing
The Krabi early bird collects in Ao Nang, Klong Muang and Tub Kaek
Phi Phi Don tours meet near McDonald's by Tonsai Pier
Best thing is the early morning wake up beating everyone to maya bay and getting the best pics!
★★★★★
The itinerary was excellent, and you could enjoy every stop without feeling rushed.
★★★★★
fabulous! early no crowds! wonderful! best day ever!
★★★★★
We got so lucky. We saw sharks at maya bay, again while snorkelling, and we even got to swim with the monkeys!
★★★★★
Staff were so friendly and explained everything throughly. [...] the islands were all unreal.
★★★★★
We were lucky to be in a smaller group so the tour was really detailed!
★★★★★
The whole day ran smoothly with just enough time at each stop.
★★★★★
The tour guide Courtney and the crew were friendly, informative and easy going.
★★★★★
being in a small group in a speedboat was perfection.
Beyond Phi Phi
Add James Bond Island
Phang Nga Bay is the other famous day trip from Phuket: limestone towers, sea caves by canoe and a
village on stilts. This long day puts it together with Maya Bay.
Phi Phi & James Bond Island in One Day
Hotel pickup in Phuket · 10 hours · GetYourGuide
Can't choose between Phi Phi and Phang Nga Bay? This long speedboat day does both: an hour on Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon and lunch on Phi Phi Don, then James Bond Island, a canoe through Phang Nga Bay and a walk in the stilt village of Ko Panyi.
Maya Bay 1 hourCanoe in Phang NgaFree cancellation
Search for a Maya Bay tour and the pictures look the same: a white beach, a wall of cliffs, water the
colour of glass. The pictures are real. What the listings rarely put first is that nobody swims there any more, that
you get about an hour on the sand, and that the hour you arrive matters more than the boat you arrive on. Here is how
to read the options.
Why the bay closed, and what came back
The Beach was shot on Maya Bay in 1999 and came out in 2000. Visitors followed: about 5,000 a day by the late
2010s, sometimes many more, with close to a hundred boats in the bay at once. Most of the reef was lost. The national
park closed the bay in June 2018, first for four months and then indefinitely. Divers replanted more than 30,000
coral fragments, and blacktip reef sharks were back in the shallows within months. Maya Bay reopened on 1 January
2022 with rules built around that recovery.
Young blacktip reef sharks use the shallows as a nursery, which is why swimming stays banned.
How a visit works now
Boats dock at the pier in Loh Samah Bay, on the other side of Phi Phi Le, and you walk across on a path and
boardwalk. The bay runs in hourly rounds between 7 am and 6 pm, with no more than 375 people at a time under the
park's rules for the season. You can walk the beach and wade at the waterline. You cannot swim, fly a drone without
permission, feed fish or bring sunscreen that harms coral. Every year from 1 August to 30 September the bay closes
completely; in 2026 it reopened on 1 October.
The honest small print: a national park fee is charged per person for Phi Phi Le. Most tours
here include it, but the Krabi early bird collects it in cash on the day and the Phuket classic sells it as an option
at booking. Read that line in the listing before you pay.
Phuket, Krabi or Phi Phi Don
From Phuket the speedboat takes about an hour each way, so a Maya Bay day is a full day of eight to ten hours, with
Bamboo Island, lunch on Phi Phi Don and snorkel stops filling it out. From Krabi the early bird collects before 6 am
and adds the 4 Islands on the way home. From Phi Phi Don you are minutes away: a private longtail or a shared speedboat
can put you on the bay for the 7 am round or at sunset, but only if you have slept on the island.
From Phi Phi Don, a longtail is the short way to Maya Bay.
Which tour, and when
Staying in Phuket and want one easy day? Take the classic speedboat, which lands on Maya Bay first. Want the bay
quieter? The small-group sunrise tour serves breakfast on the sand, and the premium day saves Maya Bay for the end,
after the midday boats. In Ao Nang, book the early bird. On Phi Phi Don, take the private longtail at 7 am, the
"avoid the crowds" speedboat, or the afternoon sunset run with plankton. Our
tour guide sets all eight side by side.
Pileh Lagoon, around the corner from Maya Bay, is where tours stop to swim.
Straight answers to what people ask most about Maya Bay and Phi Phi tours.
Does the Phi Phi Island tour include Maya Bay?
Most Phi Phi day trips land on Maya Bay for 40 minutes to an hour, but not all of them, and none can between 1 August and 30 September, when the bay is closed. Check the itinerary for a Maya Bay stop before you book; every tour on this page lists one.
Can you swim in Maya Bay?
No. Swimming in the Maya Bay area is banned to protect the reef and the young blacktip reef sharks that use the shallows. You can wade at the water's edge. Tours swim and snorkel at Pileh Lagoon and other stops instead; the rules guide lists the rest.
Is Maya Bay closed in 2026?
Maya Bay was closed from 1 August to 30 September 2026, as it is every year, and reopened on 1 October 2026. From October to July it is open daily, in hourly rounds between 7 am and 6 pm. When to go covers the seasons.
Why is Maya Bay closed every August and September?
The national park closes it in the monsoon months so the bay can recover, and because waves make the Loh Samah pier, where boats drop visitors, unsafe. Day trips in those weeks pass the bay by boat and spend longer at other stops.
How do I get to Maya Bay from Phi Phi Island?
By boat: a private longtail or a shared speedboat from Phi Phi Don. Both dock at Loh Samah Bay on the back of Phi Phi Le, and you walk across to the beach. The Phi Phi Don guide compares the two.
Do you have to pay to get on Maya Bay?
Yes. The national park charges an entrance fee per person for Phi Phi Le and Phi Phi Don, and rangers may check your ticket. Several tours include it; one collects it in cash on the day, and on one it is an option at booking.
Is Maya Bay overcrowded?
It is busy, but capped: no more than 375 people on the beach in each hourly round. The quietest times are the first round at 7 am and the late afternoon. A sunrise or "Maya Bay first" tour is the simple way to beat the midday boats.
Is the Phi Phi tour worth it?
For the scenery, yes: limestone cliffs, Pileh Lagoon, snorkelling and white beaches in one day. Go knowing that Maya Bay itself is a short walk on the sand, not a swim, and pick the departure time that matters most to you.
Which is better, Phi Phi or James Bond Island?
Phi Phi if you want to swim, snorkel and see Maya Bay. James Bond Island if you prefer limestone towers, a canoe through sea caves and a stilt village. The comparison guide sets them side by side.
What film was filmed at Maya Bay?
The Beach, directed by Danny Boyle and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, filmed on Maya Bay in 1999 and released in 2000. The film guide tells what happened to the bay after it.
How much does a Maya Bay tour cost?
Prices change with the season, the date and the boat, so this site does not print them; the figure at checkout is the one that counts. What moves it is the boat size, a private or shared trip, the start point and whether the park fee is in.
Ready to book
White sand, high cliffs, clear water.
The classic day from Phuket, the early bird from Krabi and your own longtail from Phi Phi Don, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Early bird from Krabi
About 9 hoursUp to 30 on boardFree cancellation
